The New Girl
by Emmy Moonshine
Summary: Woot woot...only six chapters up at the moment! Anyway a new girl comes to Hogwarts and has caught the guys' attention...
1. Train Ride

Well, it's Harry, Ron, and Hermione's fifth year at Hogwarts and they're on the Hogwarts Express. Suddenly there's a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in," Hermione chimed.  
  
A tall, brown-haired girl opened the door. Her head was a mountain of spiral curls and she had gorgeous violet eyes. Hermione didn't notice Harry and Ron staring dumbfounded.  
  
"Mind if I join you?" the girl said.  
  
"Not at all," Hermione told her. "I'm Hermione Granger. That's Harry, and that's Ron."  
  
"Hello," she said, smiling. "I'm Scarlett."  
  
Scarlett sat down and the compartment held an awkward silence for a few minutes until the treats cart came rolling down their way. Scarlett seemed to have an enormous amount of gold, and had bought everything on the cart.  
  
"How can she eat all that and look like that?" Ron asked Harry.  
  
"Who knows," Harry replied, unconsciously staring.  
  
"Erm-uh," Hermione started. "Scarlett, what year are you?"  
  
Scarlett gave her a somewhat puzzled look.  
  
"I'm a fifth year," she replied.  
  
"How come we've never seen you before?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah, what house are you in?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh," Scarlett said, blushing. "Well, you see, I don't belong to a house yet. I'm new."  
  
"I didn't think they took new students after first years," Ron said.  
  
"Well, they don't – usually," Scarlett said, looking down. "But you see, I'm a – a late bloomer, so to speak."  
  
"What?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.  
  
"She's a diuturnity!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Come again?" Ron said, looking quite confused.  
  
"I've read about them. They're witches and wizards who don't show signs of magic at the usual times. They – "  
  
"So you're magic's where ours was in our first year?" Ron asked.  
  
"Ron, you didn't let me finish," Hermione said angrily. "Diuturnities learn at an extremely fast pace for the first few years, which is convenient because you can place them in the proper level at school. They're very rare."  
  
"Wow," Ron said in amazement, turning his head towards Scarlett. He couldn't help but notice how her eyes seemed to twinkle. They seemed oddly familiar.  
  
All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. Standing in the doorway was Draco Malfoy.  
  
  
  
Ooh…the suspense. Oh well, wait till the next chapter. 


	2. The Welcome Feast

Well, lookie here, it's chapter two…  
  
"Go away Malfoy," Hermione told him.  
  
"What for?" he sneered. "This isn't your train."  
  
"Eat frogs Malfoy! Ron yelled, throwing a chocolate frog in Malfoy's direction.  
  
"Why thank you Weasley, but I don't like – " Malfoy stopped talking abruptly as he noticed an unfamiliar face in the compartment. A tall, brown haired girl with lovely violet eyes. He didn't know why, but she seemed oddly familiar.  
  
"What's wrong with you Malfoy?" Harry asked.  
  
"I – I have to go," Malfoy said. He knew he couldn't act decent in this compartment. Malfoy tripped himself leaving the doorway before shutting the door.  
  
That was odd of him," Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah," Ron agreed. "I've never known him to stop talking in the middle of an insult."  
  
"Who was that?" Scarlett asked. All three of her companions jumped. They'd forgotten about her upon Malfoy's arrival.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, the slimiest scum on the face of the earth," Harry said.  
  
"Malfoy is it? Well then it doesn't surprise me," she said.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked.  
  
"We just know the family," Scarlett said. "They're terrible, the whole lot of them. Treat everyone else like dirt and think they own the world. We disowned my sister when she wanted to marry a Malfoy."  
  
"How terrible!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Good going!" Ron cheered.  
  
"Don't worry yourself, Hermione, she was a whiny, stuck-up little prune, anyway," Scarlett said.  
  
"How terrible…" Hermione muttered to herself again.  
  
The trio continued to ask Scarlett questions, and she continued to give them interesting answers. She didn't even notice how they were hanging on her every word, for people did that to her quite often. The rest of the train ride was quite enjoyable due to Scarlett's fascinating stories and the disappearance of Malfoy. They reached the school in no time.  
  
Scarlett had to depart once they reached the castle.  
  
"I'm to be sorted now," she'd told them.  
  
"Smashing beauty, isn't she?" Ron said, a small grin on his face.  
  
"She seems to know a great deal about everything we're studying this year, too," Hermione commented.  
  
"I don't know why," Harry said. "But for some reason she seems oddly familiar."  
  
"I know what you mean," Ron said. "I really hope she gets Gryffindor."  
  
They entered the Great hall and a few minutes later the first years appeared. There were a few whispers of "where's the Sorting Hat?" before McGonagall, followed by Scarlett, walked through the doors carrying the Sorting Hat. The hall broke out into whispers about the girl, the few people who had seen her sharing all the information they knew. Harry, Ron, and Hermione held their breath as McGonagall and Scarlett came up the middle, then as McGonagall continued to the stool, Scarlett turned and sat down with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  
  
As Scarlett sat down most people realized where the Sorting Hat had been. Hermione saw Dumbledore wink at Scarlett. Dumbledore had the usual twinkle in his eye. Hermione suddenly froze.  
  
"Hermione, what wrong?" Harry asked her. "You usually love watching the sorting." Hermione relaxed a little.  
  
"I'm fine," she told him. Scarlett gave her a sideways glance and a knowing look. Hermione looked back at her with a questioning look. Scarlett nodded. Hermione's eyes widened.  
  
"What's going on you two?" Ron asked them.  
  
"Tell you in the common room," the girls said in unison looking down at their plates as the food appeared.  
  
What's going on…what has Hermione figured out? I know the suspense is killing you… 


	3. It's Out!

Back in the Gryffindor Common Room…  
  
The four settled into a private little corner with three armchairs. Harry, Hermione, and Scarlett took the chairs and Ron sprawled out on the floor.  
  
"So what's going on you two?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, er – you can't tell anyone," Scarlett said, her eyes wide and pleading. "But I'm – "  
  
"Dumbledore's granddaughter," Hermione finished. They heard a thump behind Harry's chair and when they looked, they saw a small boy with a camera scampering towards the portrait hole.  
  
"Oh no – " Ron said, a worried look on his face.  
  
"Colin Creevey!" Harry said. "Everyone in school will know within ten minutes."  
  
"No one was supposed to find out!" Scarlett, cried, a very, very, worried look on her face.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Scarlett," Ron said casually. "Everyone always finds out everything around here. Dumbledore knows that."  
  
"Regardless of whether or not Dumbledore knows that," Hermione said giving the boys stern looks, "it still wasn't supposed to be a known fact."  
  
"You're the one who said it!" Ron told her angrily. Hermione crossed her arms and scowled.  
  
"What am I supposed to do?" Scarlett asked, looking from one person to another.  
  
"Wait," Harry said. The four sat in silence, until a few moments later, they saw Professor McGonagall step through the portrait hole. She walked over to the group in silence.  
  
"Miss Dumbledore, if you'll come with me, please," McGonagall said.  
  
"It would've been impossible for people Inot/I to find out, with that being her last name," Harry whispered to Ron. Scarlett stood up and followed McGonagall out of the portrait hole. Several whispers followed her. Dean and Seamus came over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione after that.  
  
"Dumbledore's granddaughter is a diuturnity…wow," Dean said.  
  
"Yeah, and so good looking!" Seamus said. Hermione snorted.  
  
"If you'll excuse me, I have some reading to do," she told them, glaring. She walked off and Harry could have sworn she was stomping up the stairs.  
  
"What's with her?" Ron asked.  
  
"She's probably jealous or something," Dean said, shrugging. For some reason Harry didn't think that was it.  
  
"So what's the deal with her classes?" Seamus asked.  
  
"She was tutored for a period this summer. Diuturnities are amazing. She learned in on e summer what we did in four years!" Harry exclaimed, staring off into space.  
  
"Are you serious?" Dean asked, a look of disbelief on his face. Ron shook his head, his mouth slightly open, and Seamus rocked back and forth hugging his knees. The common room seemed to go silent for a few moments. All of a sudden the portrait hole opened. The four guys snapped their heads towards it. Scarlett stepped through and Ron thought he heard Dean mutter, "Wow".  
  
"What happened?" Ron asked, a little too quickly, for Scarlett gave him an odd look.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked him. All four guys listened to her with rapt attention.  
  
"Are you in trouble?" Harry said worriedly.  
  
"No, I'm not," Scarlett said, glancing from one guy to another. "Grandfather understood. He explained that it would happen eventually because of my last name." All four boys sighed with relief. "Where's Hermione?" Scarlett asked suddenly, noticing the missing face.  
  
"Went upstairs to bed or something," Ron said. Scarlett frowned before perking up again. Harry wondered why she'd frowned.  
  
"Sounds like a good idea," she said. She turned and walked up the stairs.  
  
"Harry, did something seem wrong to you?" Ron asked, grimacing.  
  
"Yeah," Harry said, scratching his chin. "She was so worried before, but when she came back she was calm, and seemed surprised when we asked if she was in trouble."  
  
"Oh come on guys, calm down," Dean said. "She was probably just calmed down by Dumbledore."  
  
"Yeah, he can do that," Seamus agreed. Ron shrugged. Harry scratched his head again.  
  
  
  
Oh I know it's another cliffhanger! And my chapters seem to be QUITE short! Sorry please wait till chapter four! 


	4. Hidden Talent

Chapter 4's finally here! I'm sorry you had to wait so long! I'm trying to make this chapter a little longer than the others!  
  
  
  
The next morning the Great Hall erupted into whispers as Scarlett entered with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Although Ron's cheeks flushed and Harry felt a little self conscious, this seemed to have no effect on Hermione or Scarlett. As the four sat down at the Gryffindor table there was a flash of light.  
  
"Colin!" Parvati screeched from beside Scarlett. "We're eating! Stop taking pictures!"  
  
Colin continued to click until Fred grabbed his camera, and he and George engaged in a friendly game of monkey in the middle, Colin being the monkey.  
  
"So what'd Dumbledore say to you last night, Scarlett?" Harry asked with interest.  
  
"He told me that he had a bet with one of the professors on how long it would be before the school found out," Scarlett said, a small grin on her face.  
  
"You mean he didn't trust you?" Hermione asked, a look of horror on her face.  
  
"It's not that at all," Scarlett explained. "It's just that he trusted others to find out, without me saying a word. Like you did, Hermione. There's a resemblance between us." Hermione blushed and Ron tilted his head to the side, looking confused.  
  
"Come again?" he said.  
  
"Using words outside your vocabulary, eh Ron?" Harry asked, punching him on the arm. Ron gave him an angry look.  
  
There was a silence as the four watched Colin struggling to get his camera back. Lavender suddenly broke the silence, making all four of them jump.  
  
"How Ido/I you do your makeup, Scarlett?" she asked with a look of deep interest.  
  
"Er-I don't exactly wear makeup, Lavender," Scarlett replied.  
  
"None at all?" Parvati asked, shocked.  
  
"Well, just a bit of mascara lip gloss," Scarlett answered. Lavender's eyes were wide and Parvati's jaw was dropped.  
  
"What's so shocking about not wearing makeup?" Hermione asked. "I don't."  
  
"You don't look like Iher/I," Lavender said matter-of-factly. Scarlett blushed slightly, but continued to eat. Hermione shrugged.  
  
"Will you Iplease/I talk about something else?" Ron asked, looking anxious. "You're boring me." Harry nodded in agreement. Lavender and Parvati engaged in their own conversation. McGonagall came by passing out schedules. Ron groaned.  
  
"Potions with the Slytherins first," he pointed out. Harry had suddenly lost his appetite, but Hermione and Scarlett kept on eating. Ron shoved his plate forward.  
  
"Hey Harry," Ron said, trying to find something to keep his mind off of potions. "Who's going to be Gryffindor's keeper this year? You need a new one, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry said. "I'm not sure when we'll be holding tryouts, though." Scarlett nearly choked on her juice.  
  
"You need a keeper?" she asked, her eyes wide.  
  
"Yeah," Harry said. Ron was giving her an odd look. "Why, are you interested?"  
  
"Of course!" Scarlett breathed. "Even though I didn't seem magical, I could always beat anyone on a broomstick."  
  
"You play Quidditch?" Ron asked, tilting his head to the side.  
  
"Sure, why not?" Scarlett said. "Girls do play you know."  
  
"I know," Ron said.  
  
"We'd better get going," Hermione said suddenly, looking at her watch. "We don't want to be late."  
  
The four left the emptying Great Hall for the dungeons. They didn't want to lose any points for Gyffindor the first day back.  
  
They reached the classroom just in time. Snape entered just as they took their seats, dressed in his usual black.  
  
"Today we'll be working on a very complex potion," he said sternly, his cold eyes unblinking. "I do not expect everyone to get it right. It requires complete concentration," he continued, eyeing Harry and Ron, before turning his eyes to Hermione, "and it is to be done on your own." Ron frowned. Neville was shaking.  
  
"The potion we are making today is called an Entrustis Potion," Snape said. "This potion, when drank, shows how trustworthy the drinker is. Turn to page 642 and begin working immediately."  
  
Ron watched Scarlett flip open her book and run her finger down the list of ingredients. She quickly had all of her ingredients ready, before Hermione, he noticed. He watched her scan the first set of instructions, then carry them out quickly, with precision he'd never seen before.  
  
"Weasley!" Snape called. Ron jumped. "Get to work!" Ron immediately started pulling out his ingredients. After a few minutes of working, all Scarlett had left to do was stir her potion until it thickened. Hermione was only on the third step, Harry and Ron even farther behind. Ron nudged Harry in the ribs. Harry glanced over at Scarlett's cauldron and dropped his knife.  
  
"Watch it Potter!" Snape bellowed. Harry quickly grabbed his knife and continued to work. Snape paced the room, and when he reached the four, he stopped.  
  
"Miss Dumbledore what Iare/I you doing?" Snape asked, glaring at her.  
  
"I'm stirring my potion sir," Scarlett stated, without looking up. Harry heard Malfoy give a snigger.  
  
"And just why are you-" Snape started, but he broke off. "You're potion's almost complete! How did you manage this! Was it Granger?"  
  
"No sir," Scarlett said, finally looking up. "I did it on my own, like you told us to." She pulled the spoon out of her cauldron and shut her book. "What am I to do now, sir?"  
  
"Come with me," Snape snarled. Harry didn't think he could get that mad.  
  
The whole class watched in silence as Snape led Scarlett out of the room. As soon as the door shut, Ron let out his breath. It seemed that almost everyone else did the same.  
  
"Is she really finished?" Dean called from across the room.  
  
"She can't be finished," Malfoy said, rolling his eyes. "Let me see her potion." Malfoy swaggered over to Scarlett's cauldron, which was set up in between Hermione's and Harry's. He stopped abruptly when he saw the complete Entrustis Potion. "Ridiculous!" he cried. Fuming he walked back over to his cauldron and continued adding ingredients to his bubbling mixture.  
  
  
  
Scarlett immediately knew where she was being taken. She'd been up here before, during the summer, when she began her private tutoring. She was being taken to her grandfather's office. Headmaster Dumbledore's office. She hadn't the faintest idea why Snape was taking her to the Headmaster when she should be in potions. They reached the top of the escalator and Snape rapped on the door three times. Scarlett heard a muffled "come in". She followed Snape into the office, and sat down.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore, this girl managed to complete an Entrustis Potion within a quarter of a class period," Snape said, gesturing toward Scarlett. Dumbledore didn't seem even mildly surprised.  
  
"That is quite fast for a student of her level," Dumbledore said. "But surely this shouldn't be such a shock, after all, you tutored her this summer."  
  
"It was a brief period of time, Professor," Snape said. "Just until she learned the basics. She worked on her own after that."  
  
"I am aware of this," Dumbledore said, twiddling his thumbs. "That was the routine with all of her teachers."  
  
"But how could she have advanced so quickly in a few weeks?" Snape asked almost angrily.  
  
"Severus, surely you have taken into consideration the fact that Scarlett is a diuturnity?"  
  
"An abnormally strong one," Snape muttered.  
  
"So what is the problem?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Er-what exactly should she do?" Snape asked timidly. "That potion should have taken the whole class period."  
  
"She may use the time as a study hall, as long as she stays in the room," Dumbledore said. "For today, the class period is almost over, so I suggest you get back to class." Dumbledore winked at Scarlett.  
  
Snape stormed back down to the dungeons, Scarlett trying very hard to keep up. 


	5. Chickens and Weather

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Scarlett all hurried out to the dungeon as the bell rang. Scarlett cooly explained what had happened in Dumbledore's office.  
  
"How'd you manage to finish that ruddy thing so fast?" Ron asked. "That's what I'd like to know.  
  
They hadn't realized it, but they'd been walking quite fast, and reached the Transfiguration classroom a little early.  
  
"I suppose we'll be working on chickens today," Hermione said, glancing at what appeared to be some notes. "Turning chickens into weathervanes comes next in the book."  
  
"What's a weathervane?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
"Muggle thing," Harry said quickly. "They use it to see which direction the wind's blowing – stuff like that."  
  
"Rubbish," Ron muttered. "How am I supposed to turn something into one if I don't even know what it is? I'm sure dad would love to get his hands on one of 'em though," Ron said, scratching his head. "So why chickens?"  
  
"The weathervane is most commonly a flat metal rooster with an arrow," Scarlett said. Harry could hear Ron muttering to himself again.  
  
Sure enough, Hermione was right. Soon each student had a crate with a chicken sitting in front of them. Harry saw Hermione reading through the instructions for the hundredth time, and Ron, shaking his head, still muttering. He still looked like the thought the whole idea of a weathervane was ridiculous. When Harry glanced back at Hermione he saw her carefully lifting the lid off of her crate. He did the same. His chicken stared up at him with a look of confusion.  
  
"Place your chicken on top of the crate before you begin," Professor McGonagall's voice rang out. "Points will be taken away if your weathervane still has feathers, or if is particularly rusty."  
  
She walked up and down the aisles checking people's work. After a few moments –  
  
"Miss Dumbledore, this is excellent!" cried Professor Mcgonagall. Hermione scowled. This was a huge compliment from Professor Mcgonagall. Professor McGonagall held up Scarlett's perfect, gleaming weathervane. Hers even had tiny, engraved letters representing north, south, east, and west. Harry peered over at Hermione, and was surprised to see that she wasn't finished yet. She had apparently gbeen halfway through transfiguring her chicken because her wand was held up and the chicken was trying to hold up its now heavy, metal tail. Neville's chicken was the only other one miving. He had accidentally made it start molting, and is was slowly getting larger, as though it was a balloon being inflated. Harry was reminded of the time he blew up his Aunt Marge, in a way similar to this. Professor McGonagall, however, hadn't noticed neville's chicken…  
  
"Twenty points to Gryffindor for this excellent work, Miss Dumbledore," McGonagall beamed. All of a sudden there was a large BANG as feathers fluttered down everywhere – chicken feathers.  
  
"LONGBOTTOM!" she shouted. "WHAT have you done now?!" she stalked over to his desk, where he was cowering beside Dean.  
  
"It-it was an a-a-accident, Professor," Neville said meekly. Professor McGonagall scowled.  
  
"Very well, then, clean it up. You help him Mr. Thomas," McGonagall barked. Neville looked mildly surprised. He had expected her to take points away from Gryffindor, give him detention, or some other horrible thing like that. Harry noticed this. He expected it had something to do with Scarlett's weathervane. He watched Hermione as she finished transfiguring her chicken, and made a mental note on the fact that it wasn't as nice as Scarlett's.  
  
  
  
I KNOW! Another short chapter! I'm SORRY! I'm trying to work on it as much as possible! Chapter six will be up soon! 


	6. Surprises

I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SOOOO LONG!!!! But it's here!  
  
Oh and A/N to iamawriternotafighter: I didn't say when Hermione OR Neville finished their potions…I only said that Scarlett finished before Hermione. AND Hermione had her hair UP at the yule ball, not curly, or down.  
  
  
  
At the end of the day the four headed back to the common room. They sat down in the same armchairs as before, Ron on the floor again. Pretty soon Harry and Scarlett had engaged themselves in a conversation about Quidditch, with Ron jumping in here and there. Hermione was reading a book entitled "Late Bloomers of Society". All of a sudden Fred's head popped out from behind Scarlett's armchair.  
  
"Hello there, Scarlett," he said.  
  
"We've got a question for you," George said, popping his head out on the other side.  
  
"Alright, what is it?" Scarlett said, grinning at them.  
  
"George here thinks he's the dashing one," Fred said, eyeing George with feigned hostility.  
  
"And Fred thinks it's him," George said, returning the hostile glance.  
  
"We'd like to know," Fred said.  
  
"Which one really is?" George finished. Scarlett giggled.  
  
"Well, if you'd really like my opinion," she said. Fred and George nodded their heads. "I think you're equally dashing. Both of you."  
  
"Thanks Scarlett!" Fred beamed.  
  
"We owe you one!" George said, and they walked off with their arms around each other.  
  
"How'd you manage that one?" Ron asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked, tilting her head to the side.  
  
"No one can ever settle their little 'disputes'," Hermione said, putting her book down. Everyone jumped. "Scared you, did I?" she asked. "Sorry."  
  
"Hermione, are you feeling okay?" Harry asked with concern.  
  
"I'm fine, why?" Hermione gave him a look.  
  
"Well, you've been seeming rather…" Harry didn't know what to say.  
  
"Out of sorts today," Ron finished. Hermione gave him a hostile look.  
  
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you! Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed, because I'm TIRED!" she stormed up the stairs angrily.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong?" Harry said. Scarlett reached over for her book.  
  
"She was reading about diuturnities," she said mildly, flipping through the pages. "Well, bed sounds like a good idea, it's getting late you know."  
  
She stretched and headed up the stairs.  
  
"She's so…perfect," Harry said.  
  
"I know, but she has to have some flaw," Ron said. "Then again, if she doesn't, it's fine by me."  
  
They laughed and went up the stairs.  
  
  
  
Once Scarlett started getting into her bed Hermione sat up in her own. Scarlett looked at her.  
  
"Scarlett, I've got a question for you," Hermione said. "I've been thinking about it all day, and – oh please don't get mad – but, are you part veela?"  
  
Scarlett giggled. Hermione raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Are you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, Hermione, I am," Scarlett said.  
  
"Thanks, Scarlett," Hermione said, pulling up the covers and rolling over. Scarlett shook her head and got into bed.  
  
  
  
The next morning at breakfast Harry and Ron walked into the Great Hall and sat down by Scarlett.  
  
"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked.  
  
"I think she's in the library," Scarlett said, before biting into an apple.  
  
"We don't even have homework yet," Harry said, looking at Ron with confusion. Ron returned his look.  
  
"I think she's researching veela," Scarlett said in between bites.  
  
"VEELA?!" Harry and Ron said in unison.  
  
"Don't yell!" Scarlett said. "Why's that so surprising?"  
  
"I don't know, it just doesn't seem like Hermione," Harry said.  
  
"Maybe she thinks there's some way she can become one," Ron said, laughing.  
  
"Ron, don't be dense, Hermione wouldn't want to become a veela," Harry said.  
  
"Why not?" Scarlett asked, looking almost concerned.  
  
"You should have seen how disgusted she was with them at the World Cup last year," Harry said.  
  
"You were at the World Cup?" Scarlett said excitedly.  
  
"My dad got us tickets," Ron beamed.  
  
"Wasn't it wonderful?" Scarlett said. "My sister liked watching the players' faces more than the game, I think."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.  
  
"She's engaged to one of the Irish players," Scarlett said.  
  
"Scarlett, how many sisters do you have?" Harry asked.  
  
"Four," she replied. "Amanda is the one who ran off with the Malfoy once we disowned her, then Mary is the one engaged to an Irish player. And Susan and Charlotte are younger than me, they go to BeauxBatons."  
  
"Then why'd you come to Hogwarts?" Ron asked.  
  
"I don't like BeauxBatons," Scarlett said. "I have bad memories of visiting there. Plus, I'm grandfather's favorite granddaughter."  
  
Harry and Ron dropped the subject. Scarlett looked toward the entrance of the room, craning her neck.  
  
"Who's that with Hermione?" she asked. Harry and Ron followed Scarlett's gaze. Hermione was walking in the door with…OLIVER WOOD! He was tall and tan, and his dark hair fell around his face. Scarlett giggled.  
  
"That's Wood!" Harry said excitedly. "I wonder what he's doing here?"  
  
"That IS Oliver Wood!" Scarlett said, her eyes bugging out of her head. "Why IS he here?"  
  
"Why are you excited?" Ron asked, looking at Scarlett.  
  
"He spent the summer with my dad, training," Scarlett said.  
  
"Your dad's the coach for Puddlemere United?" Harry asked. Scarlett nodded before quickly getting up and running over to Oliver.  
  
"Oliver!" she exclaimed as she reached him and Hermione. She squealed and gave him a hug. Hermione gave Scarlett an odd look. The rest of the school was following suit. They wondered how Scarlett knew Oliver Wood.  
  
"How are you?" she asked him excitedly.  
  
"I'm good, Scarlett," Oliver said, aware that all eyes were on him and Scarlett. "Why don't we keep walking?" So they started walking toward the staff tables and Hermione just stood there. After a moment she walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down with Harry and Ron.  
  
"Alright," Scarlett said. "So why are you here?"  
  
"I'm the temporary flying instructor," he said. "Madam Hooch retired, you know." Scarlett suddenly looked worried.  
  
"You weren't…fired, were you?" she asked.  
  
"No, not at all," he said. Scarlett relaxed. "Your dad just said I needed a little break, that's all."  
  
"It's great that you'll be here!" Scarlett said. They had reached the staff table.  
  
"Welcome back, Mr. Wood," Dumbledore said with a kind grin on his face. "Or shall I say, Professor Wood."  
  
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," Oliver said. Scarlett smiled.  
  
What do you think? PLEASE R/R!!!! 


End file.
